Catching the Sound Wave

Before I dive into sound waves perhaps I will share a TV episode on sound waves.  Do you remember Ms. Frizzle? Sure you do! She made learning scientific topics quite fun.  Check out her students at the sound museum and everything they learn about sound.

How was that? What about those really big vocabulary terms Ms. Frizzle used throughout the show! Now can you answer these questions?

1. How does sound travel?
2. What is the difference between low and high sounds?

I put together some images that we will discuss in class, but only as it relates to more common everyday experiences that you go through.

 When sound waves reflect it is called echoing. I am sure you have heard your voice bounce back at you a time or two.  What about when your one place and you hear a sound from another place? Perhaps, you can recall a time when you were walking down one hall, but could hear voices in another hall.  When sound goes through a narrow opening and spreads out it is called diffraction.  When the sound moves around a barrier, it is also called diffraction.

 Now, I sure you remember when your parents come to your room and have to tell you to turn your music down.  Well why is it that the sound in your room is much louder than the sound outside your room and you haven't even touched the volume?  This is where your walls play a role.  While the intensity of the sound within the room is high, as the sound travels some of it is absorbed (taken in like water in a sponge) into the walls. This makes the sound on the outside of the room less intense.

Before I tell you more about pitch and frequency, check out this link and see what influences these aspects of a sound. Then when you are done with that link, check out this one as well. When you are done with that link, then check out the simulation below, by clicking the link provided.

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/sound

Click the link below to begin.

I have put together a quiz for you to try. It will be up each week of this unit.  How much do you know about sound waves? Link to test...


I found another website that shares similar information, but I have annotated it so that you can focus on the key areas. Click here!

Have you ever wondered about the why the sound changes from a siren as it passes by? Watch this video!



Music versus Noise:  What is the difference between the two? The answer is here!

Surprise, Surprise! Here is a podcast from a small group of students talking through the Properties of Waves lab assignment.  Have a listen!

Alright, back to sound waves.  I just came across this new application where you can watch 20 second segments of video and answer comprehension questions.  Are you up for a challenge? Go ahead and play and let me know your score! Good luck!



Okay, if you have made it to the bottom of this screen then here is something extra special for you.  Below is an infographic with a general idea about what we will learn about sound.  Remember you will get all the details in class, but you will have at least one more tool in your learning power pack.

(c) M. Prince, 2013

You can download a copy here!

What is Physical Science?

(c) M. Prince 2012

Physical Science is the study of nature.  What physical scientists do is study natural processes like motion, energy, magnetism, electricity, sound, light, and matter.  In this class, we will do the same.


In class today, I wanted to know what students thought about physical science before I provided information about all that it entails.  I encouraged them to think about all the things they were curious about over their lifetime.  I must say that I was really impressed with their curiosities.  I immediately found many questions connected to what we will cover this year.  Here are some of the questions students shared in class today:




First Period:


How does a toy car function from small batteries in a controller? (Jeremiah)
How does a light bulb produce light? (Kearston)
How is an elevator able to hold all that weight? (Alana)
How does an engine make a car go? (Chris)
How does an electric wire provide energy for homes all around the world? (Matthew)
How does a faucet work? (Chasity)
Why does an explosion occur when you put aluminum foil into a microwave oven? (Naomi)
How does a cellphone work? (Mikayla)
How does the wing make the plane fly high in the air? (Riziki)
Why don't roller coaster carts fly off the track on steep hills? (Dylan) 



Second Period:


Why does helium make things float? (Sydney)
What if you could take a certain strand of animal DNA and isolate it then apply it to a human, thereby giving the human a quality from the animal? (Ian)
Why does a magnet interfere with electronic appliances? (Peter)
Why does light travel so much faster than sound? (Tyler)
On a plasma ball, what causes the electricity to move up to the glass and move with your hand? (Claire)
What if gravity stopped working? (Luke)


Fifth Period:


Why does Earth have a gravitational pull? (Ty)
How do scientists think? (Mary)
How does a boat float when it is so heavy? (Jordan)
How does the Earth's satellite sit in one place instead of moving all over the place and bumping into the moon? (Oscar)
How does the wind blow if nothing blows it? (Amanda)
Why does the Earth rotate without us feeling it? (Aniyha)
How does gravitational pull keep the planets up? (Amanda W.)



Sixth Period:


How does yogurt clear some of the bacteria in your stomach? (Hayley)
How does someone get so much technology into a phone so thin? (Ke'Andre)
How does a touch screen phone know when you tap on something and it responds to your tap? (Noah)
How does a small computer chip hold so much data? (Skylar Wi)
How do the clouds stay moving in the air and not fall down? (Graci)

Sept. 6-8 Journal Topics

Go to the following link --> http://livebinders.com/edit?id=89700. Select the Journal tab, then the Sept. 6-9 sub-tab. Choose any 2 of the four topics to write entries 7 and 8.  Don't forget journals are due Friday.